This invention relates generally to the dispensing of fuel, and more specifically to the regulation of fuel flow so as to curtail the same when fuel dispensing has ceased, the nozzle has been removed from the fuel tank, and the further flow of any fuel should logically be immediately shut off as a result thereof. The automatic fuel dispensing nozzles that are currently and presently used for the dispensing of gasoline, gasohol, diesel fuels, and the like, at the full service or self service type of stations, are generally of the type of nozzle that automatically shut off when the tank is full, or should the nozzle be mishandled, dropped, or otherwise misplaced. Ordinarily, such nozzles, when they have been opened and held in other fuel dispensing position by means of the setting of a clip, as is known in the trade, will not automatically shut off when simply hand held, laid down, or even hung up on the side of the dispensing pump. This presents a potentially very hazardous situation in the dispensing of fuel, if an automatic nozzle should be picked up or unseated from its location within the gas pump, and particularly if the nozzle has been left in the open fuel flow position, the hazard substantially being encountered when the pump is once again turned on for initiating fuel flow, resulting in fuel being immediately dispensed, regardless whether the nozzle be located within the tank, or at any other direction. Furthermore, this particular problem becomes very serious in the self service style of gasoline station, of the prepay type, because, usually, and particularly where a specified amount of fuel has been paid for, and the dispenser has been set to automatically shut off dispensing at a particular level, the pump may shut off before the nozzle is released, or the release lever and its clip may still be set to maintain the nozzle in the opened position, with the customer believing that the nozzle's valves have now been closed, and that further dispensing of fuel cannot take place. When such a condition prevails, the previous customer will simply relocate the nozzle back into the gasoline dispenser housing. Then, when the next person arrives, to purchase and obtain a supply of fuel, and may pick up the nozzle in preparation for fuel dispensing, turn the pump on, as by manipulating the standard switch provided upon the dispenser housing, gasoline will once again inadvertently be dispensed in all directions, in abundance, and spray gasoline all over the customer, any bystander, in addition onto the vehicle and upon the ground. Thus, the hazards previously alluded to become rather apparent.
As is known in the trade, the automatic shut off of a fuel dispensing nozzle is achieved generally by the development of a vacuum generated through the rapid flow of fuel through the nozzle, creating a vacuum at the location of venturi that leads towards a secondary chamber, in which a diaphragm is located, but that the vacuum that would ordinarily develop within the secondary valve chamber is normally relieved through the location of a vent tube interiorly along the length of the nozzle spout, and which opens to atmosphere approximate the tip of the said spout. Thus, any vacuum created within the aforesaid chamber is normally vented, but at such time when the fuel begins to fill the gasoline tank, and its heavy vapors develop pressure or the fuel itself reaches the end of the vent tube, this closes off any further escape passage for the developing vacuum, and thereby allows such a vacuum to be created within that defined chamber, thereby allowing the secondary valve to become initiated, and effecting an immediate shut off of the fuel dispensing nozzle. Ordinarily, the vacuum from this chamber is vented to atmosphere near the tip end of the fuel dispensing spout, by means of that vent tube arranged interiorly of the spout, as connected to the inner spout wall, and the port that opens exteriorly of the nozzle spout prevents any vacuum from becoming strong enough to cause the nozzle to shut off, under ordinary operating conditions, unless that port becomes obstructed by something such as the rising level of fuel of the fuel being filled. When the port in the vent tube tip is obstructed, as by fuel, the vacuum increases causing the diaphragm to move and the nozzle to shut off. Examples of this state of the art providing for the installation of vent tubes within nozzle spouts, and their effect upon a diaphragm for achieving nozzle shutoff, as when the tank is filling, can be seen in select prior patents obtained by the inventor's assignee herein, as disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,016,910, and 4,031,930.
The current invention capitalizes upon the principal of operation of that vent tube within a fuel dispensing nozzle, modifies it through the addition of a valve means to its end, or approximate end, in order to achieve a closure of the vent tube when the nozzle is angulated into particular directions, such as when being removed from a gasoline tank, or being removed from a gasoline fuel pump cabinet, in order to insure that the nozzle is properly shut off, and to prevent that untimely dispensing of fuel which can cause the type of hazardous conditions as previously described.
It is, therefore, the principal object of this invention to provide an attitude control device employed in conjunction with the vent tube of a dispensing nozzle, and which functions to automatically shut off the operations of a fuel nozzle, or to prevent its dispensing of fuel, simply due to the achievement of a particular angulation in the handling of the nozzle during application.
A further object of this invention is to provide an attitude control device mounted onto the end of a gasoline nozzle vent tube and which when raised above the horizontal, automatically shuts off the internal operating valves of a dispensing nozzle, to assure that no further fuel will be dispensed, even in the event that the gasoline pump should once again be turned on.
Another object of this invention is to provide an attitude control device mounted to the end of a vent tube of a nozzle spout and which when angulated essentially below the horizontal, allows for the free operation of the nozzle for dispensing a quantity of fuel to the gasoline tank, or the like.
Another object of this invention is to provide an attitude control device that may be particularly arranged in conjunction with the vent tube of a gasoline nozzle, and be angulated at select degrees for attaining operations of its ball check valve located therein, so as to either allow the nozzle to dispense, or to curtail its operations, depending upon the angulated orientation of the spout nozzle during its handling.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a fail-safe type of control means for use in conjunction with a gasoline nozzle and that ordinarily will prevent the malfunctioning of a fuel nozzle during its usage.
These and other objects will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon reviewing the summary of this invention, and upon undertaking a study of the description of its preferred embodiment, in view of the drawings.